Do cats understand what we say?

My cats seem to be savvy about human language and sometimes act as though they understand everything I say.

Early in life, Gatito, Tony and Missy responded to their names. If I happened to call one of them, the other two never paid any attention. OK, to be honest, sometimes the one I called didn’t pay any attention, either. But that wasn’t because the name and request weren’t understood. It was because the kitty involved had more important things to do.

As my cats have grown older, their linguistic abilities have increased. To illustrate:

I must now give my diabetic kitty Gatito insulin shots twice every day. But I have to be very careful not to mention the word “shot.” If he hears it, he disappears under the bed. He knows what that dreaded word means.

The word “carrier” causes a similar reaction. Just dare to mention it, even in a whisper, and Gatito heads for the nearest hiding place where human hands can never reach him. He also is fully aware of the difference between the very similar- sounding words “vet” and “pet.” The first causes a hiss. The second, a purr.

I’ve asked some wise animal people about this uncanny ability and the experts just smile and say: “All animals understand more than we think.”

It’s not just Gatitio.

Missy knows exactly what I’m saying when I tell her it’s time to read. She follows me to the couch and hops into my lap, eagerly marking the book with her chin.

Tony, my big black kitty, knows all about that word “no.” But he’s savvy about more complicated phrases, too. Sometimes I’ve said to him: “Leave that chair alone. Use the scratching post.” Amazingly, he usually complies– padding to the well-worn cat tree.

According to researchers at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, this could be explained by the fact that felines in general are smart cookies. They can recall certain types of information longer than dogs, and some studies indicate that kitties have a visual- memory ability comparable to that of monkeys. Furthermore, cat brains and those of humans are very similar, conveying and processing data in the same way via identical neurotransmitters. So, don’t underestimate your cat’s capabilities!

Even more important, don’t ever think it’s silly to chat with your cat or say, “I love you.” Chatting, though it may be kind of one-sided, is fun and a bonding experience. As for those three little words, if they’re spoken with true feeling and commitment, they have a reassuring ring to both man and beast. The language barrier may still be there, but all creatures great and small can pick up on the sentiment.